The Hazing Tower (18 page)

They started the long drive back. Nikki felt better now. She was still wondering about Rebecca and all of it, but the shocking things that had happened today overwhelmed her. She had so many questions now.

She closed her eyes and tried to relax. She noticed the Jeep started to slow down and she looked up.

Alex pulled the Jeep to the side of the road.

“Did we break down? A tire flat?”

“Nikki, I’m in love with you.”

She felt her heart stop again. Her mouth opened but nothing came out.

She looked at him, his eyes; it was like she could feel his raw emotion completely.

“I — Well, I love you, too, Alex. I thought you probably knew.”

The memories flashed through her mind, so clear now. He had been by her side, for months — as she recovered in his bed. He had pulled her back onto the ledge. He was there when she needed someone the most. He had always been there.

“Nikki, I need you to know. I have done things. Things I am not proud of. I promised myself —”

“What did you promise?”

“That I wouldn’t fall for you. That I wouldn’t bring you into this life. It’s not fair.”

It was so quiet in the Jeep. She stared at him.

“I ask only one thing,” she said to him. “I don’t care about what happened in the past. I want to know if you will be with me now, and I need to know you will stay with me.”

“Yes. I never want to leave you.”

She softly touched his hand. “Then, we are good. We both start new. New Nikki, New Alex.”

She didn’t actually remember when he kissed her; it seemed to start without time being involved. She didn’t care anymore that this was not like her old self. She wasn’t Nikki anymore. She liked the new Nikki much better. Her new life had started now. The old Nikki was long gone.

She felt that warmth again as they drove back.

• • •

“OK, fine.” She actually liked that he wanted to protect her; but, come on, she was a cop. She really wished she had her gun now. They didn’t taken it on their drive; she was thinking that was a mistake now.

Alex slowly unlocked the door and they both stood by the side as he pushed it open.

“Hello, Alex.”

Nikki pushed past him into the room. Any fear she had seemed to leave her when she heard a female voice.

Nikki dropped her purse to the ground. Her legs wouldn’t move.

“Angelique! Oh, my God, it’s you.”

Rebecca looked completely shocked. Her eyes opened wide.

“How? That name?”

“I thought it wasn’t real, the note. You knew my mother, Mia?”

“Yes — Mia, sweet Mia. I don’t understand . . .”

Alex pulled Nikki’s arm. “Nikki, what are you talking about? How do you know Rebecca?”

“Rebecca?” Nikki looked confused.

“Yes. My real name is Rebecca, Nikki. I came here tonight —” She paused. “I came here tonight to tell you the truth, Nikki. I promised your mother I would when the time was right. I fully expect you will kill me when you understand.”

Nikki shook her head. “She forgave you, Rebecca. My mother forgave you. She left me a note.”

“She forgave me?” Rebecca repeated it in a daze.

Alex was trying to make sense of what had just happened. This was the Rebecca he remembered: the kind, caring, emotional Rebecca, not the fake one he had seen in the cafe that day. He felt completely lost.

“Nikki, I don’t deserve you mother’s forgiveness. I’m a terrible person, a deeply evil person.”

Nikki shook her head. “I don’t believe it. I’ve been putting it together. You have been helping this whole time. You paid for my education. You tried to help my mother and father escape. And you cannot take it back when someone gives you their forgiveness.”

Nikki picked up her purse, pulled out the note and picture and handed them to Rebecca.

Rebecca looked at the drawing of her and tears filled her eyes. “It’s beautiful.” Her hands shook as she read the note.

“Rebecca.” Alex said her name without wanting to.

She looked over and their eyes met. He saw her again. It had been so long. He had thought the real Rebecca was gone forever.

Nikki walked closer to Rebecca.

“I need to understand now. Rebecca, you haven’t aged at all. The drawing. You look the same. How is that possible? It’s my fault. I told Alex I didn’t want to know. I was hiding. I want to know everything now.”

She turned to Alex. “Alex, it’s true then, the dates I saw in your journals.” Her face turned red. “I looked at them, I’m sorry. You don’t age?” She was shaking.

“I was going to tell you everything, Nikki,” Alex began. “It’s true, we don’t age. Nikki, you will not grow older. You will stay the same age you are now. We are the same. You are one of us. It’s part of the genetic condition.”

“What? Forever?” Her eyes were wide open now.

“Forever.” He took her hand.

“I need to sit down.” Nikki almost fell onto the couch next to Rebecca.

“Nikki, can I—” Rebecca softly touched Nikki’s face. “You are so much like your mother. You have her beauty, her spirit.”

They sat there in silence. Everyone seemed to be speechless.

“Do you like tea?” Nikki asked. She wasn’t sure if she could even stand up, but she had to break the tension somehow. She could see Alex looking at Rebecca. She knew he wanted to talk to her alone. She owed him that.

Rebecca nodded. She tried to say something but seemed unable to speak.

Nikki went into the kitchen and left her alone with Alex.

Rebecca stared at the floor.

“I thought you were gone forever,” Alex said.

“I am gone, Alexander. I’m not the same woman you remember.”

“I can see her again. I see you, Rebecca. My God, what did they do to you? I’m going to kill them all. If it’s the last thing I do, I will crush them.” She could see the rage building in his eyes.

“Yes, we will get to that,” Rebecca continued.  “They do need to die. That’s one of my reasons for coming here tonight.”

Nikki walked back in with tea. Her hands were still shaking.

“Nikki,” said Rebecca, “I promised your mother and father I would tell you this story. I waited far too long.”

Nikki sat next to Alex and tried to stop her shaking.

“Almost all of this goes back to Logan,” Rebecca reflected. “I don’t know how much Alex has told you about him. Logan was a genius at tracking genetic markers through family trees. For him, it was mostly a game, something to keep his genius mind occupied. Later, he met a scientist; I never knew his name. At first, Logan wanted to understand about himself, about this condition we have. He thought this man could use science to understand it.”

She paused and looked over to Nikki.

“The scientist — let’s call him Mr. X — he had different plans. He saw the opportunity to have eternal life for himself. You see, he didn’t have the gene. He developed a serum, mostly from Logan’s blood, Logan’s DNA. It worked to some extent, but there were nasty side effects. This is when things got bad. Mr. X used Logan’s information to find your mother, Nikki. Mia had the gene. She lived near London, I don’t know the exact town. At the time, Logan had me do his bidding. I didn’t question anything he asked me to do. I didn’t understand at the time, but a shift of power had happened. I think Mr. X was calling the shots at the time they . . .” It was as if she couldn’t continue.

“They took my mother,” Nikki said.

“Yes. I was told to take a young girl, a baby, back to the United States. I confronted Mr. X the night before, I demanded an explanation. I waited until Mia was sleeping. Mr. X was drunk, he told me. Nikki; he killed your grandparents. He murdered them in cold blood.”

Nikki started to cry.

“I tried to fight back, Nikki. He and his men beat me up. He said he would kill your mother if I ever spoke of what happened. I was sure he would.” She paused. “It was an elaborate setup. He loved to play games. They moved your mother next to your father. It was a small town. You see, your father was the other piece of the puzzle. He also had the gene. Mr. X’s plan was — well, the plan was to create you, Nikki. You see, you have the gene from both parents — probably the only time that has ever happened, or would ever happen without intervention.”

“My God, Rebecca,” Alex said, holding Nikki’s hand tighter.

“When your parents were older, I told them everything. Even though the risk was huge, I couldn’t let it go on without them knowing. Nikki, you should know, they were really in love, none of that was fake. They fell in love fully aware of the plans Mr. X or Logan had. Your mother remembered me. She never forgot the trip, the ship we were on. I had told her a story.”

“The prince! She told me that story. The prince saving the kingdom,” Nikki said.

Rebecca nodded. “So many years ago. She never forgot. For years, she and I made plans; we were going to run, to hide.”

“My mother’s note — something went wrong,” Nikki said, trying to wipe her tears.

“Yes. Mr. X, he was aging too fast; he didn’t have time to wait. That’s why he took your parents. We almost made it out,” Rebecca said. She closed her eyes.

“I was driving. We thought we were so close. We were going to pick you up. You were 10 years old. His men ran us off the road. I woke up weeks later. I shouldn’t have survived. I am so sorry, Nikki. I failed them, I failed you. I do not deserve to live.”

Nikki was sobbing. “You tried. At least you tried to help them. I don’t hate you, Rebecca. If my mother forgave you, then I forgive you as well.”

Rebecca looked like she was in complete shock.

“Nikki, you are a much better person than I could ever be. I don’t know how to describe what it means to me, to know that before . . .” She seemed to catch herself and stopped talking.

“Before?” Nikki’s eyes opened wide. “You are planning to die tonight!”

“What?” Alex leaned forward.

Rebecca nodded.

“I came here tonight for two reasons. The first was to tell you the story. The other part, I think you will understand now.”

“Alexander. I need to talk to Nikki alone please. Just for a moment. It’s important.”

Alex was white as a ghost.

Nikki whispered in his ear and nodded.

Alex slowly got up and walked outside.

Rebecca pulled a phone out of her bag and handed it to Nikki.

“They are coming for you and Alex. They are ruthless, Nikki. Everything I have is on this phone, all the data, all the research. They have taken everything from all of us, everything. I died a long time ago, a very long time ago, Nikki. Tonight I will take some of them with me, but it won’t be enough; they will hunt you down to the ends of the earth. I think you are stronger than even you realize. They know this. They knew it before I did; that’s why they want you.

“I’ve been waiting a lifetime for this. You are that chance — to stop this evil. You and Alex, you have a chance, it might be small, but it’s the first time we have even been close. They think I am handing you over to them tonight.

“Figure out the puzzle, Nikki. I know you can. You are much smarter than I ever was. If anyone can do it, it’s you. Nikki, for me, tonight is it. My role in this is over. You already know that.” Nikki’s hand was shaking as she took the phone.

“Two people, Jinny and Josh. I think you will like them, Nikki. They are on my jet, they are sick; it’s a long story, longer than I have time to explain. They need your help, and they can help you.”

She nodded.

“Nikki. The last thing, the most important part: We are a lot alike, though I know it doesn’t seem that way now. I need you to understand something. The message I sent. It was for you as well as Alex.”

“Whoever is in control now, Logan or Mr. X, they are incredibly smart and powerful. He may find a way to get to you.”

“If you can’t kill him, if the plan goes sideways —”

She stopped talking and looked at Nikki.

“I am the key.”

Rebecca nodded.

“If I die,” Nikki said, “they can’t use my blood; they have nothing. They need me alive. We can end it now, here.” Nikki could feel the life draining out of her as she realized what she had to do.

“No, Nikki, not now. You need to try to cut the head off this snake. If you die now, he still may find a way a hundred years from now, a thousand. The leader behind this is a genius. Even without your blood, he might find a way. You need to kill him.”

“Is he the only one? Are there others as smart as he is that could continue his plans?” Nikki asked.

Rebecca looked at the floor. “I wish I knew the answer to that.” She pulled out a box and handed it to Nikki.

Nikki opened it: shoes. A very expensive pair of leather shoes. “A gift?”

Rebecca whispered to her.

“Oh.” She felt her hands shaking again. She nodded.

“Listen to me. Don’t be going suicidal on me. I don’t expect that will happen with Alex protecting you. I am truly sorry, Nikki.”

“I understand now,” Nikki said, even as she felt her world collapsing.

Nikki walked back out outside. Alex looked like he was going to pass out.

“We need to go. You should say goodbye.”

Alex was shaking, Nikki could feel him. Emotions rushed through her like a hurricane. She had never felt anything like it. Alex slowly walked into the room. Rebecca looked like he remembered her when they first met. It was like nothing had changed. She was that young beautiful girl he knew so long ago.

“Why didn’t you tell me? All those years together.”

“I wanted to, I was going to tell you. That day, the cold day in the city.” She paused.

“Remember what you told me a lifetime ago, you remember? Alex.”

“We promised we would never — We would never be apart.”

“I will never forgive myself for leaving you,” Rebecca said. “I cannot explain the evil that these people are made from.